Football Season Guide

Annan Athletic head into the new season with a mixture of hope and trepidation following a summer of change. The Black and Golds have missed out on promotion in each of the last two seasons and last year was especially painful having made a great start to the season and been sat top of the table between October and December. 2016 began with a memorable Scottish F.A. Cup giant-killing of Premiership side Hamilton Academical but it marked the start of a downward spiral and they missed out on the play-off by the narrowest of margins, when a 2-0 home win over Queen’s Park would have been enough, but they could only win 1-0 to finish in 5th place in the table. Experienced manager Jim Chapman will be desperately disappointed at how his side fell away in the second half of the season especially with one of the best squads in the division. Midfielder Matty Allan was outstanding in the middle of the park, joining winger Josh Todd in double figures for goals, whilst talismanic striker Peter Weatherson was again their leading goalscorer with 16 league goals, despite missing part of the season through injury. All three players have left the club this summer, as has goalkeeper Jordan Hart, defender Martin McNiff, midfielder Ryan McStay and striker Smart Osadolor and Chapman has had to almost completely rebuild his squad. Goalkeeper Alex Mitchell and midfielder Przemyslaw Dachnowicz have joined from Workington AFC and Rangers respectively whilst winger Maxwell Wright and striker David McKenna have both signed from relegated East Stirlingshire. With so many changes at Galabank it is difficult to know what to expect from the Dumfries and Galloway side this season. Chapman will be pleased to have re-signed defender and Captain Steven Black and they will be hoping to have enough to make the play-offs.